Coopers Brewery has shifted up a gear in its Supercars partnership, releasing a commemorative Coopers Dry 3.5 Supercars can that’s not only a standout at the track but also a milestone in Australian print innovation.
Developed in collaboration with can supplier Orora, the limited-edition can is the first saleable product to roll off Orora’s new Helio line – the Velox IDS-NC500 digital direct-to-can printing system installed earlier this year at the company’s Dandenong South manufacturing site.
Scheduled for launch at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 (24–26 October), the Supercars cans will be available exclusively in the main public bars and corporate areas at the event, which is expected to draw around 200,000 racegoers.
A first for Helio
Orora’s Helio press represents a leap forward in can decoration, bringing full-colour, high-definition digital printing directly to aluminium without the need for plates. The technology enables short-run flexibility, intricate graphics, and tactile finishes previously unattainable on traditional offset systems.
The Coopers Supercars can debut showcases the technology’s potential for creating high-impact, event-driven packaging campaigns.
“Orora really pushed the boundaries on this design to make the can stand out with a broad spectrum of colour and unique texture,” said Coopers managing director Michael Shearer. “The end result is a great-looking can that holds a great-tasting beer. The Coopers Dry 3.5 Supercars can is truly unique and sure to become a collector’s item among racegoers and beer-can enthusiasts.”
Andrew Morwood, head or Orora's Decoration Centre of Excellence, told PKN, “Coopers is the first partner that has embraced the full potential of Helio. From start to finish, it has been a collaborative project that brought together our in-house Innovation & Design and the Decoration Centre of Excellence with the Coopers brand and marketing team to ideate, create and produce an innovative, commemorative design that could only be delivered using Helio.”
Brand partnership in full throttle
Coopers is the official Beer, Cider and Non-Alcoholic Beer Partner of the Repco Supercars Championship. Under the three-year partnership, which began this year, Coopers holds exclusive pourage rights at most Supercars events, serving a line-up that includes Coopers Dry 3.5, Coopers Zero and Coopers Original Pale Ale.
Jamie Black, chief revenue officer for Supercars, said: “The launch of the Coopers Dry 3.5 Supercars commemorative can is a fantastic celebration of our partnership. It’s a bold, bright, innovative design that reflects the energy of the Gold Coast 500 and the passion of our fans.”
The Coopers Supercars can underscores how digital direct-to-can printing can transform brand activations. For beverage marketers, Helio opens creative and commercial opportunities – enabling rapid design changes, limited-edition runs and customisation for specific markets or events, all with high print quality and minimal waste.
As Shearer summed up: “It’s a great example of how innovation in packaging can capture the spirit of an event – and bring fans even closer to the brand.”
